Associate Professor of Psychology Merry Sleigh-Ritzer, the chapter’s faculty adviser, and psychology major Chelli Lowe prepared the submission, a 12-page documentation of the chapter’s activities over the past three years.

Psi Chi presents the regional award to chapters that serve as role models for others and promote the society’s purposes of encouraging, stimulating and maintaining excellence in scholarship and advancing the science of psychology. Winthrop competed alongside chapters across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Winthrop’s chapter of Psi Chi will receive $500 and a certificate to display in the Department of Psychology as part of the award. The department will use the award to improve chapter and department communication with psychology alumni, according to Department of Psychology Chair Joseph Prus.

For the past two years, the chapter has won Psi Chi’s Model Chapter Award, and recently Winthrop psychology students won five Regional Research Awards, sponsored by Psi Chi, at the Southeastern Psychological Association Conference.

Sleigh-Ritzer said the Southeastern Regional Chapter Award identifies Winthrop’s chapter of Psi Chi as “a model for other chapters across the nation.”

“The Regional Chapter Award is the most prestigious recognition of our work,” she added. “Our selection for this award reflects the outstanding leadership of our officers, engagement of our students and support by our departmental faculty.”